Hiring someone to design, redesign or extend your most valuable asset requires a lot of trust, but if you want to achieve a fantastic building, chances are you’re going to need an Architect.

When choosing who it is that you will hire to oversee the creation of your dream you want to ensure you are on the same page creatively and that your Architect has the skills and experience to make your plan a reality.

Why Employ An Architect?

An Architect is the best person to consult to help your pie-in-the-sky ideas become a reality. As well as having a lot of creativity, Architects also know the building and budget constraints of your dream and may be able to point you in better directions to help you affordably achieve your goal.

As well as implementing design trends and technological innovations, an Architect will help you to create a home that is environmentally sustainable and affordable to heat and cool so paying for their expertise will save you money in the long run.

Architects help navigate the planning process and building regulations too. As Council submission regulations change and become increasingly complicated an Architect helps to minimize the stress and time wasted on trying to navigate what the Council is asking of you.

How To Choose An Architect

Before hiring your Architect check that they are qualified and have experience with type of property you want to build. Architects get most of their work by word of mouth so chances are you have already seen and are happy with some of their work, still, have a look at their portfolio to ensure your ideas align with their creative understanding. Ultimately, you want to choose an Architect that has the same style as you.

What Processes Does An Architect Go Through?

Typically, an architectural development begins with a feasibility study/consultation of your plans, followed by the design, the planning and building regulations submissions, tendering for construction, the build, and then the completion. You may choose to employ an Architect for one or all of these phases. A good Architect will be able to pick up a half completed project and see it through to completion.

How About The Fees?

Fees differ depending on what stage of the project you have asked your Architect to manage and how your Architect charges e.g hourly, lump sum fixes or packaged.

Lump-sum payments or packages give you a better idea of the overall cost of the project and safe-guard you against alarming fee charges should there be a problem with the project along the way.

While it is cheaper to manage the build yourself, it’s not necessarily the best value for money. Employing an Architect to manage the project all the way through can be more cost effective than the initial payments that hit at the beginning of the construction phase.

Communication is Key!

To avoid any miscommunication, make sure the budget and your architect’s responsibilities are set out in binding terms from the start. And remember your responsibility to adhere to the brief and not change your mind mid-development.

Take the time to sit down with your architect to communicate your vision and if possible use visual aids. Things like scrapbooks made up of paper clipping that you like are great to ensure your architect is on the same page. Finally, it’s worth brushing up on basic terminology to foster good communication.

Basic Architectural Terminology

• Planning Application Drawings- Basic drawings for planning approval
• Building Regulation Drawings-Specific drawings, which address issues such as health and safety and disability access for your building
• Working Drawings-Used on site to manage the construction of the building
• Tender Package- Sent to builders to keep a budget of the development
• Contract Administrator- What an architect becomes when they impartially manage the client-builder relationship
• CAD- Computer aided design used for elevations and plans as well as 3D models

 

The greatest asset to your building may well be your Architect once everything is finished and you see the dream they have helped make a reality for you. Why not talk to Insight Architecture about some of your ideas today?